HOUSE AMENDMENT
                                                  Bill No. HB 1879
    Amendment No. ___ (for drafter's use only)
                            CHAMBER ACTION
              Senate                               House
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11  The Council for Healthy Communities offered the following:
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13         Amendment (with title amendment) 
14         On page 63, between lines 20 and 21 of the bill
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16  insert:  Section 23.  Section 400.148, Florida Statutes, is
17  created to read:
18         400.148  Medicaid "Up-or-Out" Quality of Care Contract
19  Management Program.--
20         (1)  The Legislature finds that the federal Medicare
21  program has implemented successful models of managing the
22  medical and supportive-care needs of long-term nursing home
23  residents. These programs have maintained the highest
24  practicable level of good health and have the potential to
25  reduce the incidence of preventable illnesses among long-stay
26  residents of nursing homes, thereby increasing the quality of
27  care for residents and reducing the number of lawsuits against
28  nursing homes. Such models are operated at no cost to the
29  state.
30         (2)  The Agency for Health Care Administration shall
31  develop a pilot project in selected counties to demonstrate
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    File original & 9 copies    04/23/01                          
    hhr0003                     06:51 pm         01879-hcc -412707

HOUSE AMENDMENT Bill No. HB 1879 Amendment No. ___ (for drafter's use only) 1 the effect of assigning skilled and trained medical personnel 2 to ensure the quality of care, safety, and continuity of care 3 for long-stay Medicaid recipients in the highest-scoring 4 nursing homes in the Florida Nursing Home Guide on the date 5 the project is implemented. The agency is authorized to begin 6 the pilot project in the highest scoring homes in counties 7 where Evercare services are immediately available. On January 8 1 of each year of the pilot project the Agency shall submit to 9 the Appropriations and substantive committees of the 10 Legislature and the Governor an assessment of the program and 11 a proposal for expansion of the program to additional 12 facilities. The staff of the pilot project shall assist 13 regulatory staff in imposing regulatory sanctions, including 14 revocation of licensure, pursuant to s. 400.121 against 15 nursing homes that have quality-of-care violations. 16 (3) The pilot project must ensure: 17 (a) Oversight and coordination of all aspects of a 18 resident's medical care and stay in a nursing home; 19 (b) Facilitation of close communication between the 20 resident, the resident's guardian or legal representative, the 21 resident's attending physician, the resident's family, and 22 staff of the nursing facility; 23 (c) Frequent onsite visits to the resident; 24 (d) Early detection of medical or quality problems 25 that have the potential to lead to adverse outcomes and 26 unnecessary hospitalization; 27 (e) Close communication with regulatory staff; 28 (f) Immediate investigation of resident 29 quality-of-care complaints and communication and cooperation 30 with the appropriate entity to address those complaints, 31 including the ombudsman, state agencies, agencies responsible 2 File original & 9 copies 04/23/01 hhr0003 06:51 pm 01879-hcc -412707
HOUSE AMENDMENT Bill No. HB 1879 Amendment No. ___ (for drafter's use only) 1 for Medicaid program integrity, and local law enforcement 2 agencies; 3 (g) Assistance to the resident or the resident's 4 representative to relocate the resident if quality-of-care 5 issues are not otherwise addressed; and 6 (h) Use of Medicare and other third-party funds to 7 support activities of the program. 8 (4) The agency shall coordinate the pilot project 9 activities with providers approved by Medicare to operate 10 Evercare demonstration projects. 11 12 13 ================ T I T L E A M E N D M E N T =============== 14 And the title is amended as follows: 15 On page 4, line 27 after "action;" 16 17 insert: 18 creating s. 400.148, F.S., relating to quality 19 of care pilot projects; 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 3 File original & 9 copies 04/23/01 hhr0003 06:51 pm 01879-hcc -412707